Movable dike.



J. A. CAMERON.

MOVABLE DIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED 1320.24, 1907.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@Wi/Imaan@ ofuculm THE Nonni: PET:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAMES ALEXANDER CAMERON, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM KING BURTON, OF MEMPHIS` TENNESSEE.

MOVABLE DIKE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2'?, 1908.

Application filed December 24, 1907. Serial No. 407,924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Movable Dikes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to portable dikes, and the object of the invention is the provision of a device which will enable me to change the course of rivers and streams to protect the banks thereof at weak points, or at points where it is desirable to change the course of the stream for other purposes.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for adjusting the dike so as to be applicable in different depths of water; and, again, to provide means whereby the entire structure may be lowered into the water so as to provide for undercurrents.

'With these objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line m-oo of Fig. 3; Eig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line x-m of Fig. 2; Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line y-y of F ig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a detail section of one of the valves. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the application of the device to a stream.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 represents a float which is preferably oblong in shape having approximately the dimensions of about one`hundred feet long, forty feet wide and ten feet deep, and provided throughout its body with a plurality of compartments, 2, each provided with valves, 3, for the inlet of water, and valves, 4, in their upper part for the inlet or exhaust of air. Through the corner compartments i in the body are secured cylindrical tubes, 5,

through which are passed the piles, 6, which are adapted to be driven into the bottom of the river to secure the dike at any suitable point. Centrally located throughout a pori tion of the body is a vertical well, 6', and extending up therefrom is a plurality of U- shaped guiding beams, 7, in this instance shown to be eight in number'. These beams are all connected at their upper ends with a girder, 8, upon which is securedthe pulley bearings, 9, in which are journaled the pulleys, 10. A plurality vof gates, 11, are mounted for reciprocation in the U-shaped bars and are raised and lowered by means of the chains 12, which pass over the pulleys, 10 and are carried down to the windlasses 13 on the deck. Suitable manholes, 14, are provided in the deck over each compartment so that access may be had thereto for repairs and other purposes. The valves in each compartment have elongated valve stems which project up through the deck and are provided with'operating handles, 15, so that it is unnecessary to enter the compartment each time it is desired to control the valves. outlet valves 4 are usually provided with a hose and a buoy, which floats upon the top of the water so as to allow the dike to be sunk and the buoy to float upon the water so as to allow the air to exhaust, or to force air into the compartments to expel the water therein through the valves 3.

The operation of the device is as illustrated in Fig. '6. When a point, such as is indicated at w, is desired to be protected from a current traveling in the direction of the arrow in said figure, the floats are floated to the point indicated and the piles driven into the bottom of the river. If it is found that the undercurrent is the one doing the damage, and the gates 11 are not sufficiently long to reach the bottom, the valves 3 are opened and water allowed to rush into the compartments. This forces the air out the compartment through the valves l and allows the dike to sink. The engineer may control this operation by the manipulation of the valves, A or 3, i. e., by cutting olf the supply of water or the exit of air. If the bottom is deeper at one point of the iioat than at the other, more water may be admitted to the compartments in that end and less to the compartments in the other end, or vice versa, as the case may warrant. IVhen the dike is entirely under water, the buoy, 17, which is connected by the iiexible pipe, 16, to the valve, 4L, floats upon the water and indicates the position of the dike.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw- The ings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing` from the principle or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

lHaving thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

l. A AHeating dike comprising a plurality of air-tight compartments, adjustable gates carried by the dike for changing the course of currents, and means for submerging and raising said dike.

2. ln a device of the class described, a float, a plurality ot compartments in the float, means intermediate the compartments for changing the course of the stream, and means for flooding the compartments.

3. In a device of the class described, a float, means for raising and lowering said tioat in the water, a plurality of vertically movable gates adapted to extend down to the bottom of the river from the float, means for raising and lowering the gates, means tor submerging the lioat and means for holdingI the device in any pre-determined position in the stream.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES ALEXANDER CAMERON. lVitnesses W. lV. FARIss, VM. G. LEA. 

